Abbot Talks About Benefits of Abbey, University Split [AUDIO]

COLLEGEVILLE - On Friday the St. John's University Board of Regents announced plans to create it's own civil corporation and split from the Abbey.

Today (Tuesday) WJON news had a chance to talk with Abbot John Klassen about the move.  He says the Board of Regents will be replaced with a Board of Trustees, which will be given a much stronger decision making authority.

Klassen says the Abbey will still have a say in what happens at the University, because they will have monks sitting on the Board of Trustees.

He says the University and the Abbey have already been separated financially since 1974.

The new civil corporation for the University will begin on July 1st.